Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-11
THE ELECTION TOMORROW

THE ELECTION TOMORROW.
The people will tomorrow be called
upon to vote upon three amendments to
the State Constitution. They have sew
eral times been reviewed in detail in this
journal, and all the reasons for and against
them dispassionately discussed. They
should be adopted, and if there is a large
vote they will be. The fear is that the
stay-at-home vote will on this occasion be
exceedingly strong. The opponents of the
amendments will be active; they can be
trusted to take care of their side of the
questions involved. But we fear those who
are friendly to these good schemes in
good government will trust greatly to 9TH
ers to do their voting. If they feel con-
WINGED of the certainty of the amendments
being adopted, they should not for that
reason remain away from the polls. Such
repose of confidence in the justice of a
cause has frequently brought defeat.
There are no candidates in the election
tomorrow, no personal ambitions to be
advanced, and as consequence there will
he no one to "peddle tickets" and urge
voters to come out and do their duty. The
elements that usually underlie activity at
the polls will not be manifest tomorrow,
and if there is any work done for the cause
Of good government it must be wholly
philanthropic and patriotic.
The amendments should be approved to-
morrow, because experience has shown that
our Supreme Bench is seriously crippled
by the accumulation of business, and from
which overplus it may, in part, be relieved
by the aid of the Supreme Court Commits
sion, which the amendments will erect into
a department of the Court, to serve for
four years, and so much longer as the Leg
islature may find necessary.
Il is proposed also that the Justices shall
elect the Chief Justice from among their
own number; that Justices mentally and
physically worn out may be retired at less
than half pay until the expiration of the
term, and the vacancies filled by appoint
ment by the Government.
1t is proposed also to expedite the bust
ness of the Court by permitting two JUS
tees in a department" to render iudg-
ment, where three have heard the case, in
stead of requiring three to join in the
judgment, as now. This can work only
good, since there always remains the privi-
lege of hearing in bank in cases of any
doubt
1t is provided also that the salaries of
the Justices, and of number of the Su-
perior Judges, shall be increased some
what. These advances are not great, not
so large, indeed, as they should be, but
they are in the right direction, and ought
to be Endorsed by the people, who are en-
titled to the highest competency for their
judicial departments, and can secure it
only by paying salaries commensurate with
ability required. 1t is very narrow and
shallow economy to pay the Judiciary
poorly the people should so salary their
Judges as to make the bench desirable by
lawyers of the first order, and who may be
thus induced to abandon private practice,
which to such men is always highly re-
munerative. We have heretofore shown
that our Justices are over-worked, that
they pass upon great many more cases
than those of any other Court in the
United States, and that the intellectual
labor exacted OF them is in excess of that
put upon any other bench. 1t is, there
fore, merely just to pay these men the
salary of $500. And the same reasoning
applies in the cases in which the salaries
of Superior Judges are to be increased.
The third amendment relates wholly TO
municipalities, and simply provides that
cities may make their own charters. This
is in line with the effort to bring govern
ment nearer to the people, and thereby
make it safer and better. Sowidely differ
ing are the physical conditions in this
large State, so varying the needs of cities
according to location, climate and COM
meree, that it is simply impossible for any
general law TO be made applicable to all.
The form of government adapted to the
needs of Los Angeles and its environment,
could not he made to ''ftn Sacramento;
the charter that would receive the appro-
val of the people of Sacramento, could not
be adapted to Oakland without working
grave injustice.
The self-helplulness of a people in
city is weakened by legislative depend
ence. All cities should be cut loose from
legislative tinkering. Let them make
Aheir own charters, and if these conform to
the Constitution and do not conflict with
tie system of laws, and receive the APP
prevail of the Legislature, the people win
be enabled to so conduct their municipal
affairs as TO conserve economy and foster
prosperity. As tie law now stands, no
citizen in a municipal corporation can feel,
secure concerning the property he owns
or the lublie works he fayors, since it is